I was reading about Cobra pose in my Yoga Journal today. Normally I freak out when I see snakes. I don’t like them only because they are rather creepy. But as I was reading about the pose and the explanation of how the Cobra snake moves fluidly but can lift it’s upper body effortlessly while gliding so majestically forward, I actually could feel myself as the Cobra glide across the ground. Weightless. I pictured in my mind a beautiful golden Cobra and for the first time I was in awe of this creature. I was no longer opposed to it. Instantly I wanted to get into Bhujangasana Cobra pose, but it was lunch time and I was in the work cafeteria. I couldn’t wait to get home because besides the animal, the pose is also not one of my favorites. It hurts my back. But in all things I do not like,I try to become an expert at it, to understand it, dissect it, whatever I can, to overcome it. So I will do it, and I will try to do it right. The article states that you should offset the pose after with Child’s Pose or a Downward Dog. During the pose you should activate your core for better control. Cobra is the start of small backbends. It improves spinal flexibility and strengthens the muscles in the arms and back, opens up your heart chakra and is an excellent stimulator of the endocrine system.
Excerpt from Yoga Journal Online
The cobra moves with its belly on the ground but must reach up to see clearly, much as we are often kept busy with worldly pursuits and have to make an effort to reach for higher goals. It takes faith and courage to rise above the material world and peer into the unknown spiritual world. Once the upper body is poised above the ground in Cobra Pose, we must accept whatever it is we see from this new vista. The lower back is consciously relaxed while the eyes remain focused on heaven.
The cobra’s ferocious nature cannot be ignored. It comes up suddenly and with deadly force, much like the workings of nature or the trappings of the world. The cobra’s gift is in its ability to shed its skin. It is this shedding of skin that allows the cobra to continually transform and renew itself.
The very nature of life involves frequent shift and change. How do you feel about change and transformation? How do you feel about death? Many people are afraid to die, yet this fear prevents us from fully living. The archetype of the cobra inspires us to see the possibilities inherent in every situation, accept whatever challenges we may be facing, and embrace all stages of life.
I don’t believe in coincidences. So falling upon this article from an old issue of Yoga Journal was what I needed for this time in my life. I am going through a transformation to be the best person I can be. I have been focusing on a good and spiritual life and material things are not important to me. I am learning to sit and just be. I am looking forward to my two weeks in Florida. I am grounding myself to be able to accept any adventure that comes my way in Sarasota/Lido Beach. I will open myself up to any possibilities that should come into my path, and accept what I see from this new vista. I will listen to any messages of what I should do with the rest of my future. Who knows who knows indeed?
